Improvement in pocket-knives



i 12h' A UNITED STATES PATENT p @rrr-.Cn j

HANS CHRISTIAN NILSON, OF GRAND RAPIDS, WISCONSIN IMPROVEMENT IN POCKET-KNIVES.

Specification formirg part of Letters Patent No. 149, 146,'datcd March 3l, 1874; application tiled February 16, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HANS C. NrLsoN, of Grand Rapids, in the county of Wood and State of Visconsin, have in vented certain new and nseful'Improvements in Pocket-Cutlery; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and luse it, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings,which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a side view of my improved pocket-knife closed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same open and ready for use. Fig. 3 is a side view of the blade and metallic stock to which it is affixed, detached from the handle. Fig. 4 is a back view of the same, and Fig. 5 is an end view of the handle detached from the knife.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a pocket-knife suitable for fishing, hunting, opening oysters, and for similar purposes, which, when in use, is strong and durable, and cannot close on the iingers, while, when not in use, it maybe closed and carried in the pocket, with no possibility of opening accidentally. The nature of my invention consists in constructing -a folding` knife with a separate detachable handle, which, when the knife is closed, serves also as a sheath for the same.

A is the handle or sheath, which maybe made of any suitable material, and is, preferably, of the form shown in the drawing. This handle is hollow, so as to fit the square or rectangular shape of the stock B, which carries the blade C. a is a notch made in the handle at the rim of the lower opening, as shown in Fig. 5, for thepurpose hereinafter stated. The blade C is attached lto the stock B by means of the pin or rivet c, in such a manner that it may readily be opened and folded. When folded, it enters into the receptacle formed by the two side pieces b I) of the stock B. These side pieces, which are alike, are united on top by the pin c, and at the bottom by means ofthe plate c, which corresponds in shape to the circumference of the bottom end of the handle or sheath A, for which it forms a covering when the knife is closed and sheathed. d is a pin inserted into that part of the blade which, when the knife is opened, comes below the fulcrum-pin o, and which projects on both sides of the blade, so as to lit into the notches f in the upper part of the side pieces b b, which form the stock B. Vhen the blade is opened to its full capacity, so as to be in line with the stock, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, the projections of the pin d will fit into the said notches, thus preventing the blade from being` turned farther backward, and indicating the exact position in which the blade must be in relation to the stock when it is ready for insertion into the handle A. g is a spring, riveted to one of the side pieces b b of the stock B in such a manner that when the knife is folded, and is inserted into the handle, which then acts as a sheath, the spring g will catch into and engage with the notch c, already referred to. The lowermost end of this spring projects through a hole in the plate e, as shown at g".

It will be readily observed that when the knife is sheathed all that is required to open it is to press with the thumb-nail on the projecting portion gf of the spring g, while, at the same tinie, the forelinger and thumb grasp the knob 7L, which is firmly secured to the bot tom of the'plate c. By the pressure, the spring will become disengaged from the notch or catch a, and the stock may be readily drawn 'out. The blade is then opened by turning that portion of the blade U which carries the pin d, and which, when the knife is closed, projects beyond the stock and handle,toward that side of the stock which has the notches f; and, when quite open, the blade and stock are inserted into the handle A until the plate `c reaches the bottom of the same, when the spring g will again of itself engage with the not-eh a, so as to keep the blade and stock firmly in position, and prevent their falling' or being' pushed out while the knife is bein g' used.

To elose and sheathe the knife, this operation is simply reversed.

Having'thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The detachable combined sheath and handle A, when used in combination with a folding knife, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described knife, Consisting of the blade C, stock B, and spring g, in combination with the detachable sheath and handle A, constructed and operated substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set'my hand.

HANS CHRISTIAN NILSON.

Witnesses:

- C. LARsoN,

F. W. BURT.' 

